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(No Model.)

E. W. FORESTER. WIRE STRBTGHER.

No. 565,613. Patented Aug. l1,` 1896.

UIINNHUIIIIIINI i UNITED STATES EDWARD WVESLEY FORESTER, OF KANSAS CITY, MISSOURI, ASSIGNOR OE PATENT OFFICE.

ONE-THIRD TO JAMES M. CONNOR, OF SAME PLACE.

WIRE-STRETCHER.'

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 565,613, dated August 11, 1896.

Application filed May 21, 1896` To all whom it may concern.-

Be it known that I, EDWARD WESLEY FOR- EsTER, a citizen of the United States of America, residing at Kansas City, in the county of Jackson and State of Missouri, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Wire-Stretchers, of which the following is a specification, reference being had therein to the accompanying drawings.

My invention relates to certain new and useful improvements in Wire-tighteners, and has for its obj ect to produce a device which will tighten the wires of a fence or the like and be less liable to get out of order than those now in general use.

To enable those skilled in the art to which this invention appertains to make and use the same, I will describe its construction and Operation in detail, referring by numbers to the accompanying drawings, forming part of this specification, in Which- Figure l is a side elevation of my improvement applied to a wire fence, and Fig. 2 is an enlarged perspective view of said improvement.

In the drawings, l denotes the body portion of my device, and 2 is a screw-thread formed on the end thereof, as in an ordinary wood-screw.

3 is an enlarged square head formed on the other end of the body and having adeep slot 4 cut in the end thereof longitudinally of the body and a shallow wide transverse slot 5 out in each of the two sides, which are cut by the slot 4f., these slots 5 forming a windingdrum on the body, which is beveled on the edges to overcome the cutting eects which they would otherwise have on the wire. By so cutting the slots 5 a iiange 6 is formed on two opposite sides,which limit the space to be covered by the wire wound on the drum. A transverse groove 7 is formed midway of each flange 6 for the purpose of retaining the end of a wire to be wound, as will be hereinafter described The operation of this device is as follows: The screw end 2 is driven part way into a post in the usual manner with a hammer, screw-driver, or wrench, and the end of a wire laid in the groove 7 and the body thereof SerialNo. 592,500. (No'model.)

passed through the slot 4, then around the drum winding over the en d of the wire, so as to secure it against slipping. When a tightener is required between the ends of a wire, the wire is slipped into groove 4 and, then wound around the drum. When the wire has been wound around the drum for a number of times,it reaches the flanges 6, and there it may be wound back upon the flrst coil without danger of the coils slipping down against the post, which is the trouble with the screwtighteners now in use.

It will be seen that this device is further useful as a wire-connector in joining the ends of two wires, which is done in the manner described for securing the end of one wire, but by using both of the grooves 7 instead of" one.

I am aware that a patent has been granted to one B. Scarles, January 4, 1887, No. 355,560, for a device somewhat similar to my invention, but over which mine is an improvement in that it contains novel means for retaining the end of the wire, and, furthermore, prevents the wire from slipping down against the post and thereby binds the screw against further tightening.

Having fully described my invention, what I 'claim as new, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is-

1. In a wire-tightener, a screw having an enlarged head provided with a longitudinal slot in the end, a transverse slot on the two sides cut by said longitudinal slot and aflange formed thereby to determine the space to be covered by the wire, as and for the purpose described.

2. In a wire-tightener, a screw having an enlarged head provided with a longitudinal slot in its end, a transverse 4slot on the two sides cut by said longitudinal slot, a flange formed thereby and a groove cut in the flange vadapted to retain the end of the wire to be wound thereon.

In testimony whereof I affix my signature.

Witnesses WM. WALTER BRADY, EDWIN M. Mnrcnnr. 

